A-19

Chapter Four

  The night air was cool and crisp, a gentle wind whisking across my cheeks. I try not to shiver, afraid of getting caught from the slightest of movements.

  It's all dark in the desert, the sky being absolutely pitch black. No stars. No blue twilight. Just endless black.

  I slowly get up from my cot, rising quietly and carefully. Mom makes no intention of waking up. Good. Just outside the barracks, I can hear one of the supernaturals pacing, guarding us and masking sure we don't sneak out.

  Which is exactly what I'm trying to do.

  Onyx is exhaling little breathy snores at the moment. It would've been adorable to watch, but I had to be somewhere. The impossible part was somehow escaping the barracks.

  "Marina."

  I look behind me in alarm, where the whisper is coming from. There's Iva, sitting up in her cot and smiling at me.

  "Please don't tell," I beg her. This isn't a part of my plan.

  "Don't worry, I won't." She cocks her head curiously at me. "Going to see Heath again?"

  I nod, holding my breath and hoping she doesn't turn on me.

  "Tell him hello for me." Iva smiles one last time and settles back down in her cot.

  I exhale a deep breath and slowly creep towards the exit. There's the warden, standing about six feet in front of the door, with his back turned to me.

  This is the craziest thing I've ever done, I think, but I remind myself that Heath is worth it. He's always worth it.

  Slowly, using the upper arm strength I've worked up, I pull myself up onto the door frame, right above the warden's head, and reach for the tip of the roof. Barbed wire lines the edge of the rail, so I have to somehow vault over the wire.

  The tip of my fingers grasp the roof right beneath the wire. I curl myself up into a little ball on the wall, taking a deep breath, and I jump.

  Bracing for the pain of the barbed wire, I feel my knees hit solid ground with no bu. I stare in wonder back at the wire, which I have somehow leaped over without getting caught. 

  I got lucky tonight, I think, standing up on the roof. But I can't expect to get lucky again.

  There's the men's barracks, right next to the one I'm standing on. Like ours, it's surrounded by barbed wire, trying to keep any visitors out.

  "Everything going smoothly?"

  I bite my tongue and shrink back as a voice from below sounds. It's obvious a supernatural.

  "Nothing wrong," the warden responds. "But maybe we should check to make sure all the pesky humans are still in bed."

  Oh no. They'll realize I'm gone.

  My fingers frantically feel around for anything to help me. Suddenly, they come within reach of a small pebble.

  I fling the pebble as far away as I possibly can, relieved when I hear a clink! from off in the distance. Luckily, the supernaturals hear it too. 

  "What was that?" The first one snaps, glancing over.

  "We'd better go make sure it's not some stupid human trying to escape," the warden hisses, and the two start running towards the spot where the pebble landed. I can hear the second voice the distance saying, "Humans are so dumb, always needing to do the impossible."

  I breathe a sigh of relief and nimbly leap off the low roof to the sand below me, wincing at the impact in my ankles. My heart pounding, I race towards the men's barracks, throwing another pebble behind the building.

  The men's warden snaps his head up in alarm and races to the back near the pebble.

  Slowly, stretching my back, I roll under the barbed wire, barely missing it. Filled with relief,  I sneak inside the men's barracks.

  All of the men are asleep in their cots. All except one.

  My heart feeling like and inflated balloon, I sprint over to the corner where he's waiting and throw my arms around his neck, fiercely kissing him. Even in this miserable place, he's the source of joy I have.

  "Heath!" I softly cry, kissing him again.

 "Wow, someone's happy to see me," he chuckles quietly, placing his hand on my cheek. 

  The giddiness erupts inside of me and threatens to escape. But something warm seeping over my hands distracts me.

  "Oh Heath, you're bleeding!" I gasp, looking down at the blood standing my fingers. Blood is trickling down his neck. "What did the commander do to you?"

  "Ah, nothing I can't handle." He winces.

  Quickly, without thinking, I rip off a shred of my jumpsuit and tie it over his gash. 

  "They'll notice," Heath warns.

  "Then take it off tomorrow morning," I tell him, pulling him in for another hug. "I'm willing to risk it for you."

  He smiles softly, patting me on the back. I pull away, realizing the pressing matter I snuck out here to discuss.

  "Did you hear about this new Maze thing?" I ask him, shuddering at the name.

  Heath's face hardens. "Yep. They're trying to get rid of us."

  "Heath, what are we going to do?" I ask desperately, hoping he has an answer. Because I certainly don't. "What if you're picked? Or I'm picked? Or Onyx, or Mom?"

  He sighs. "I don't know." 

  His hopelessness worries me. He's usually so optimistic, always annoying me, always has a joke, but here he is, helpless.

  "Hey, we're a team, right?" I ask him, placing my hands on his shoulders.

  "Course we are."

  "Then we can protect each other. We can do everything in our power to keep each other alive. You can protect me, and I promise I will protect you." I kiss his cheek.

  "Oh good, thanks for giving me some credit," Heath remarks, his smile returning. "Considering the fact that I did save your sister this morning. But let's face it, you do most of the heavy lifting."

  I laugh at his joke, relieved he's back to cheering me up again, but the happiness is short lived. "I'm worried about her."

  "About who?"

  "About Onyx. She's going to get herself in trouble."

  Heath makes me look  at him. "Hey, Marina, you have to remind yourself that she's only seven. She's going through a lot, being here and losing her father at such a young age."

  At the mention of my father, I look down, blinking the tears out of my eyes. 

  "Oh, sorry," Heath says.

  I can hear footsteps coming back around to the front of the building.

 "I'd better get out of here," I whisper, giving him one last kiss.

  "Hey, Marina."

   I look back at him. 

  "We're a team, right?"

  "Of course," I respond. "Even though most seventeen year olds wouldn't have a relationship like ours."

  "Well, most seventeen year olds wouldn't have been kidnapped by aliens and forced to live on a planet and are facing the threat or impeding death, would they?" He joked.

  I laugh again, and with my newfound hope, climb back out of the barracks.